Group 1
Date: Oct 3, 2020
Racecourse: Randwick
Race Distance: 1,600m
Conditions:
Prize Money: $1,000,000
2020 EPSOM HANDICAP NEWS
3 Dec, 2020
Champion sire Exceed And Excel is set to remain in Australia on a permanent basis, as Darley announced that the reverse-shuttle stallion will not be returning to Europe.The 20-year-old has sired 16 individual Group 1... Continue Reading
The Epsom Handicap is a $1 million open handicap Group 1 race held at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney. The open handicap is run over 1600m and in 2020 will be held on Saturday, October 3, the same day as the Metropolitan and the Darley Flight Stakes.
In 2019, the Chris Waller-trained Kolding won the Epsom Handicap, beating out fan favourite Te Akau Shark and Star Of The Seas. After the Epsom Handicap, Kolding went on to win the inaugural Golden Rose, which boasts a $7.5 million prize pool. Te Akau Shark also went on to perform well, placing in the Cox Plate and then winning the Chipping Norton Stakes in early 2020.
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The Epsom Handicap was first run back in 1865 and was won by Dundee. It gets its name from Epsom Downs Racecourse, which is a famous track in England. Some of the greats of the turf have won the race, including Shannon, Imposing, Super Impose, Shogun Lodge, Desert War and Winx.
A number of horses have won the Epsom Handicap in consecutive years. Masquerade was the first to do it, claiming victory in 1882 and 1884. Since then the likes of Chatham (‘32 & ‘33), Super Impose (‘90 & ‘91) and Desert War (‘04 & ‘05) have all replicated the feat.
Kolding too strong for the late finishing Te Akau Shark in the Epsom Handicap.
Bossy is back in town. pic.twitter.com/GYRCwWpVFI
— 7HorseRacing ? (@7horseracing) October 5, 2019
Chris Waller has had great success in the Epsom Handicap in recent time, managing to win it four of the last seven years. His winners in that time were Boban, He’s Your Man, Winx and Kolding.
In the 2019 edition of the race, Kolding clocked 1:34.80 to win, however, the fastest 1600m time in the race over the last 20 years belongs to Hartnell. He managed a 1:32.73 when he won the race in 2018.
Epsom Handicap Field
The Epsom Handicap is a $1 million Group 1, so understandably it normally has a very strong field. It is also relatively early in the spring, so a number of the top horses go from the Epsom to more of the top Group 1s later in the carnival. Nominations for the race close on September 28 and final acceptances are on September 30.
2020 Epsom Handicap Field and Odds
| Horse | Win | Place | ||
| 1 | Kolding (20)J: Hugh Bowman 56.5kg T: C J Waller | $15.00 | $4.50 | Bet Now |
| 2 | Mister Sea Wolf (4)J: Brenton Avdulla 56kg T: C J Waller | $15.00 | $4.50 | Bet Now |
| 3 | Star Of The Seas (1)J: Nash Rawiller 55.5kg T: C J Waller | $6.00 | $2.25 | Bet Now |
| 4 | Imaging (21)J: James Mcdonald 55.5kg T: C J Waller | $13.00 | $4.00 | Bet Now |
| 5 | Nettoyer (14)J: James Innes Jnr 54kg T: Ms W Roche | $26.00 | $7.00 | Bet Now |
| 6 | Brandenburg (3)J: Jason Collett 54kg T: J G Sargent | $34.00 | $8.00 | Bet Now |
| 7 | Yulong Prince (2)J: Sam Clipperton 54kg T: C J Waller | $31.00 | $7.50 | Bet Now |
| 8 | The Candy Man (9)J: Regan Bayliss 53.5kg T: P & P Snowden | $34.00 | $8.00 | Bet Now |
| 9 | Wild Planet (6)J: Tim Clark 53kg T: M, W & J Hawkes | $13.00 | $4.00 | Bet Now |
| 10 | Niccanova (11)J: Blaike Mcdougall 53kg T: Craig Carmody | $51.00 | $12.00 | Bet Now |
| 11 | Probabeel (18)J: Kerrin Mcevoy 52.5kg T: J W Richards | $7.00 | $2.50 | Bet Now |
| 12 | Funstar (19)J: Glen Boss 52.5kg T: C J Waller | $11.00 | $3.50 | Bet Now |
| 13 | Rock (13)J: Tommy Berry 52.5kg T: M, W & J Hawkes | $9.00 | $3.00 | Bet Now |
| 14 | Colette (10)J: Ms Rachel King 52kg T: James Cummings | $15.00 | $4.50 | Bet Now |
| 15 | Reloaded (7)J: Ms Kathy O’hara 51kg T: C J Waller | $26.00 | $7.00 | Bet Now |
| 16 | Looks Like Elvis (8)J: Ms Jess Taylor 50kg T: J M Austin | $34.00 | $8.00 | Bet Now |
| 17 | Riodini (12)J: Ms Winona Costin 50kg T: G Waterhouse & A Bott | $26.00 | $7.00 | Bet Now |
| 18 | Savacool (16)J: Ms Alysha Collett 50kg T: C J Waller | $81.00 | $20.00 | Bet Now |
| 19 | Glenall (5)J: Brock Ryan 50kg T: M, W & J Hawkes | $71.00 | $18.00 | Bet Now |
| 20 | Vanna Girl (15)J: Robbie Dolan 50kg T: A J & T Edmonds | $17.00 | $5.00 | Bet Now |
| 21 | Just Thinkin’ (17)J: Unknown 50kg T: G Waterhouse & A Bott | $51.00 | $12.00 | Bet Now |
Epsom Handicap Betting
Over recent years, the Epsom Handicap has been a good race for punters. Four of the last five winners had starting prices of $6.50 or less, with three of them being favourites of equal favourites. The only outlier in the last five years was Hartnell, who in 2018 won at a starting price of $20.
Epsom Handicap Results
| PLACE | HORSE | TRAINER | JOCKEY | SP |
| 1 | Kolding | Chris Waller | Glen Boss | $5.50 |
| 2 | Te Akau Shark | Jamie Richards | James McDonald | $5.50 |
| 3 | Star Of The Seas | Chris Waller | Michael Dee | $13 |
| 4 | Gem Song | Kris Lees | Brenton Avdulla | $11 |
| 5 | Rock | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Kerrin McEvoy | $11 |
| 6 | Nettoyer | Wendy Roche | Ben Thompson | $31 |
| 7 | Cascadian | James Cummings | Robbie Dolan | $15 |
| 8 | Fifty Stars | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Tim Clark | $15 |
| 9 | Desert Lord | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | James Innes Jnr | $26 |
| 10 | Best Of Days | James Cummings | Tommy Berry | $26 |
| 11 | Mr Marathon Man | Michael Moronoey | Dean Holland | $61 |
| 12 | Unforgotten | Chris Waller | Jay Ford | $26 |
| 13 | The Candy Man | Barry Baldwin | Brock Ryan | $101 |
| 14 | Junipal | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Damien Thornton | $26 |
| 15 | Kaonic | Chris Waller | Andrew Gibbons | $61 |
| 16 | Mantastic | Chris Waller | Andrew Adkins | $101 |
| 17 | Dreamforce | John Thompson | Nash Rawiller | $7 |
| 18 | Le Juge | Chris Waller | Ms Jess Taylor | $201 |
| 19 | Archedemus | Gwenda Markwell | Dom Tourneur | $61 |
EPSOM HANDICAP WINNERS
2020 – Probabeel (1:32.86)
2019 – Kolding (1:34.80)
2018 – Hartnell (1:32.73)
2017 – Happy Clapper (1:33.17)
2016 – Hauraki (1:33.87)
2015 – Winx (1:34.58)
2014 – He’s Your Man (1:33.34)
2013 – Boban (1:34.43)
2012 – Fat Al (1:34.56)
2011 – Secret Admirer (1:35.59)
2010 – Captain Sonador (1:34.12)